Typewriting machine



carbon-holding bars or blades.

Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J FRANK ALLARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWBITER comm, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

l TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed May 27, 1920. Serial No. 384,545.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, J FRANK ALLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn Borough, inithe county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting. machines, and relates more particularly to the carbon-carrying bars or blades of continuous billing or fan-fold typewriting machines, and especially to the web-splitting devices or knives which in some cases are mounted upon said bars or blades, and is herein disclosed as applied to an Underwood standard continuous or fan-fold billing machine, one form of which is disclosed in the patent to Wernery and Smith, No. 1,132,055, dated March 16, 1915.

For such machines, the work-sheets usually come in the form of fan-folded webs which are drawn from the rear of the machine to the platen between superposed car hon-holders, mounted on a carriage. One of the purposes of using such fan-folded webs is that bills or forms printed upon the various plies thereof may be maintained accurately superposed whlle being typed. It is often desired that some or all of the web thicknesses shall be slit along their folds when drawn forward.

Each carbon-holding bar or blade comprises a strip of sheet-metal extending crosswise of the work-webs and detachably ,mounted at one of its ends upon the carbonthe free ends of the carbon-holding bars, so

that, during the backward or return movement of the carbon-carriage, the fan-folded webs will be automaticall split at their folds. In order to split di erent fan-folded webs'of various widths, it is necessary to position the web-splitting devices or knives to proper places transversely of the webs, depending in each instance upon the width of the web to be split. Commonly, the websplitting knives have been soldered to the Where a blade is-too long for the width of the web, it has been the practice to unsolder the websplitting knife from the blade and resolder it to the blade at a different point along the blade, whereupon the blade and the websplitting knife would need to be renickeled, all of this procedure consuming time, causing delay and involving expense.

Another objection, when web-splitters are used, is due to the necessity of using right- -hand. and left-hand bars or blades to extend time produce a simple, inexpensive and effective device for doing so. T

According to the present invention, means are provided for varying the position of the web-splitting devices or knives which may be provided on the free ends of the carbonholding bars or blades.

More particularly, the present invention comprises a sectional 'carbon-holdi,ng bar having an inner section or part adapted to be detachably mounted at one of its ends upon the carbon-carriage, and having an outer section or part mountable in different positions upon said inner section or art, and provided at its outer or free end with a web-splitting knife, as determined by the width of a fan-folded web to be split by the knife; means being provided to the outer section or part in any of the arious positions.

Since the carbon-holders or blades are ered. To obtain these and other results, provision is made for utilizing thin sheet-metal for slitting and for holding the knife upon the carbonolder by means of socket-forming lugs turned up from the sheet-metal, so that the knife and its support are practically no thicker than the holder and its usual clip.

To hold the knife against being pulled endwise along the carbon-holding blade, there may be stamped up from the sheet-metal of the knife body a thin tongue, carrying a lug which is adapted to fit in detent holes of the blade, at different positions of the knife on the blade.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

7 In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a machine of the kind referred to, with most of the parts omitted or broken away, and showing the present invention as applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of a knife, mounted upon its carbon-carrying-device.

Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the knife seen in Figure 2, but separated from its supporting device.

In the Underwood continuous billing machine, a work-web comprising plies 10, 11

and 12, or more plies, is drawn forwardly over the rear rod (not shown) of an extension 13 of the typewriter carriage '(not shown), and is passed beneath a platen 14. When the platen 14 is in its normal position, matter typed upon the outer web 12 by the types (not shown) is reproduced upon the inner webs 11 and 10 by carbon sheets 15 and 16, which are respectively mounted upon carbon-sheet-supporting-devices 17 and 18. Usually, there are forms printed upon the webs 10, 11 and 12, and, when a form has been completely typed, the typist usually swings the platen 14 upwardly to the Figure 1 position, in a manner described in some detail in said patent, and draws forwardly upon the webs 10, 11 and 12, to gage them against the usual end gage (not shown). Owing to the friction of the carbon sheets 15 and 16 upon the webs 10, 11 and 12, the carbon-paper-carriage 19, upon which the supporting-devices 17 and 18 are detachably supported, in the usual manner, is drawn forward along rails 20 and 21, which form part of the body of the extension 13, and on which the carbon-paper-carriage is mounted for fore-and-aft reciprocation in the usual manner.

When the typist has gaged the ends of the webs against the end gage, the typist usually seizes the webs near their ends, to hold them there, and then pushes rearwardly upon the usual handle 22, which is fast upon the carbon-paper-carriage 19, and pushes said carriage rearwardly, with the result that, according to the present invention, knives 23 upon the free ends of the supporting devices 17 and 18 slit the webs 10, 11 and 12 from each other at their folds 24 and 25. When the carbon-carriage has been pushed back to its proper position against the usual stop (not shown), the typist usually swings the platen to typing position, and then severs neeaaao the typed forms, by drawing the ends of the webs against the usual knife (not shown), which stands near the printing point. The slitting knives 23, as herein illustrated, are

made of sheet-metal, which may be slightly beveled off along the cutting edge 26, although the knife is preferably not what would ordinarily be called sharp.

The knives 23 slant inwardly toward each other, so that the tension upon the webs 10, 11 and 12 draws upon them about equally. Each knife comprises not only its blade or cutting edge 26, but also a body 27, which may be of somewhat softer sheet-metal, welded to the cutting edge 26, and provided with four turned-over lugs 28, which are adapted to embrace the sheet-metal thin body 29 of the supporting device 17 or 18. The body 27 of the knife may be about the thickness of, or alittle thicker than,the usual clip 30, which is pivoted upon a finger-piece 31, and is adapted to be swung against the edge of the body 29 and clip the carbon sheet in place. Each device 17 or 18 is removably attached to one of the usual bases 32 by the usual downwardly-projecting pins 33. The body 27 of the knife is preferably offset from the blade 26 at 34, so that the blade 26"1ies practically in the plane of the body 29 of the supporting-device.

The offset 34 forms a stop-shoulder, to abut against the end of the bar or blade 29, to limit the inward sliding movement of the knife 23 along the bar, so as to prevent the end of the bar projecting beyond the knife.

In order to be able to hold each blade 26 at a position to correspond with the width of web in use, each body 27 may have cut therein a resilient tongue comprising a lug 36, which projects inwardly, and is adapted to seat itself in an opening 37 in its body 29. Since there may be several openings 37 in each body 29, to suit the various widths of web, the knives can be set to accommodate any width of web. If it is desired not to sever the Webs, the knives may be readily detached, and the supporting-devices 17 and 18 used in the customary manner.

It is to be noted that the knife-body 27 is in the form of a bar similar to the bar 29, so that the carbon-holding bar or blade as a whole comprises the inner bar part or section 29 and the outer bar part or section 27, which is mounted upon the outer end portion of the inner section or part 29 to form an extension thereof, which is adjustable for varying the position of the web-splitting knife 23, in the direction of the length of the bar.

It will be seen that by carrying in stock a few carbon-bars of different lengths, each having a series of three holes 37 in its end, the new clip device may be used in connection with one or another bar for splitting the folds of any width. When the knife is once located properly upon the bar it needs no further adjustment unless a web of different width is to be used. There is provided simple means for securing numerous positions of the knife, for'splitting numerous widths of folded plies, so that only a few bars need to be carried in stock, in order to enable any machine to be fitted for splitting numerousdiiferent widths of web folds. The end is therefore accomplished of reducing the necessity of carrying a large itock of carbon-carrying and fold-splitting ars. I

One, of the advantages of the new article of manufacture, consisting of the combined knife and clasp, is that it is suitable for either right-hand or left-hand use. For this purpose the knife is preferably placed in the same plane as the carbon-bar, and hence may be used either side up, since the detent thereon may project into the notches on either side of the carbon-bar.

.Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage and a platen, of means for directing a fan-folded web toward the platen, a carbon-sheet supporting-device, adapted to be reciprocated on the carriage, bars on said device extending from opposite sides between the folds of the web, a clip upon each bar adapted to hold a carhon-sheet thereon, a thin flat extension of said bar, a knife having a thin fiat body to lie upon the bar, lugs on said body to grip the bar, and a stop for limiting the sliding of the body on the bar.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage and a platen, of means for directing a fan-folded web toward the platen, a tarbon-sheet supportingdevice, adapted to be reciprocated on the carriage,

bars on said device extending from opposite sides between the folds of the'web, a clip upon each bar adapted to hold a carbonsheet thereon, a thin flat extension of said bar, a knife having a thin flat body to lie upon the bar, lugs on said body to grip the bar, and an offset blade for the knife to lie in the plane of the bar and adapted 'to lie against the end of the bar to hold the knife against sliding.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage and a platen, of

means for directing a fan-folded web to-" ward the platen, a carbon-sheet supporting- }de ijice, adapted to be reciprocated on the carriage, bars on said device extending from opposite sides between the folds of the web, a clip upon each .bar adapted to hold a carbon-sheet thereon, a thin fiat extension of said bar, a knife having athin flat body to lie upon the bar, lugs on said body to grip the bar, a resilient tongue in said body adapted to selectively fit in openings in said bar, and an offset blade for the knife to lie in the plane of the bar and adapted to lie against the end of the bar to hold the knife against sliding.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage and 'a platen, of

the bar, a resilient tongue in said body, a

lug on said tongue adapted to fit an opening in said extension, and a blade for the knife lying outside the extension.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage and a platen, of means for directing a fan-folded web toward the platen, a carbon-sheet supporting-dev vice, adapted to be reciprocated on the carriage, bars on said device extending from opposite sides between the folds of the web, a clip upon each bar adapted to hold a carbon-sheet thereon, a knife-body, lugs turned up on said body to grip the bar, a resilient tongue within said between. the lugs, a lug on said togue adapted to seat itself in an opening in the bar, and a-blade for the knife beyond the tongue.

6. In a typewriting machine for'use with a fan-folded web, a platen, a carriage therefor, a carbon-sheet-carrier mounted for foreand-aft reciprocation on said carriage, bars on said carrier extending between the folds of the web, a device associated with each bar to hold a carbon-sheet thereon, each bar having a thin flat portion extending beyond the device associated therewith. a knife for each bar having a blade and a thin -flat body to lie along theextension and co-operate therewith, so as to be held in different positions thereon, the blade of the knife lying in the plane of the extension, and detent means to hold said knife in said different positions,

7. In a typewriting machine for use with a fan-folded web, a carbon-sheet-bar, a device associated with said bar to hold a carbon-sheet thereon, said bar having, at its free end, a thin flat portion extending beyond the device associated therewith, an oblique knife for said bar having a blade and a thin flat body to lie along the extension and co-opera-te therewith, so as to beheld in different positions thereon, the blade of the knife lying in the plane of the extension and detent means to hold said knife in said different positions, said detent means comprising a series of recesses in said extension and a yieldably-urged detent member to enter any one of the recesses when brought into register therewith.

8. A carbon-holding device for a fan-fold typewriting machine, compising a carbonholding bar adapted to be mounted at one of its ends upon the machine, and an oblique Web-splitting knife mountable in various positions upon said bar longitudinally thereof and beyond the end thereof, as determined by the width of a fan-folded web to be split by the knife.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a splitter for attachment to the end of a carbon-carrying bar of a fan-fold typewriting machine, said splitter comprising an oblique knife to occupy a position beyond the end of the carbon bar, and also comprising a clasp projecting from the knife to extend along the bar, for attaching the knife to the end portion of the bar.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a splitter for attachment to the end of a carbon-carrying bar of a fan-fold typewriting machine, said splitter comprising an oblique knife to occupy a position beyond the end of the carbon-bar,-and also comprising a. clasp projecting from the knife to extend along the bar, for attaching the knife to the end portion of the bar, said splitter being con structed for either right-hand or left-hand use, said knife being for this purpose formed to lie in the plane of the carboncarrying bar, and said clasp comprising a body-portion offset from the knife and having portions to clasp the opposite edges of the bar.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a splitter for attachment to the end of a carhon-carrying bar of a fan-fold typewriting machine, said splitter comprising 'an oblique knife to occupy a position beyond the end of the carbon-bar, and also comprising a clasp projecting from the knife to extend along the bar, for attaching the knife to the end portion of the bar, said clasp having means to engage any one of a series of loeating means provided upon the end of the bar.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a fan-fold bar provided with a carbon-clip and, having at its end beyond the clip an extended portion provided with a series of depressions for locating thereon the clasp of a fold-splitting knife attachable thereto.

13. Adevioe for attachment to a typewriting machine of the fan-fold type, said device made in separable parts and constructed to occupy a position between the plies of a fan-folded web, one part having means to clasp the other part, one of said parts being a carbon-holding bar, and the other of said parts being an oblique foldsplitting knife occupying a position beyond the end of the bar, means being included to secure the knife removably to the end of the bar.

J FRANK ALLARD. Vitnesses:

EDITH B. LIBBEY, JENNIE P. THORNE. 

